I’m just an ordinary guy from Chicago, but I have been sent on an extraordinary mission.

As the city gets ready to host the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, let’s find out what the marathon means to the people who live here.

Robyn LaLonde Nike Trainer

Chicago’s made up all of these different pockets that are all very diverse culturally.

They have their own little flavor.

So being able to represent all of those and tie them from North Side, to Downtown, to West Side, and South Side, tie it all together in one day you can’t help feel but proud.

Paul Lambert Chicago Market President, Bank of America

You think about Chicago and the role Chicago has played in really connecting the United States and the rest of the world and that connection is really what has made Chicago what it is.

And if you look at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, and the fact that what we really do over 26.2 miles is we have a tour of this incredible connection and we go through 29 different communities and neighborhoods.

It’s a celebration of individuals from all walks of life, and all abilities.

Carey Pinkowski Executive Race Director

All 50 states are represented, last year we had over 120 countries, we’ll have that many this year.

What’s great is a lot of our participants are here for the first time and what better way to see Chicago than a tour of the wonderful neighborhoods, the architecture, the energy and the community.

So every year the impact of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon grows.

Can you give me a sense of what that means for the city?

Just last year, the impact was up over $25M dollars, up 10%, which is a record.

The marathon’s impact on the city increased nearly 10% from 2014 to 2015.

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon had nearly $300M dollars in economic impact just for that weekend alone.

In 2015, the marathon generated nearly $300 million for the city.

The vibrance of the town, and the city, and the restaurants, and the people. It’s just fantastic.

We’ve been part of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon for over ten years.

Theresa Montana, City Scents

Our business has increased at least 25%.

Everyone wins on marathon day.

Jim Horan Park Grill Restaurant

It’s a massive business opportunity. Park Grill is kinda the epicenter for the marathon.

It’s all hands on deck.

It’s pasta week.

And the biggest pasta dinner is 3,000 pounds served here at Millennium Park at Park Grill for the Chicago Marathon.

The day goes by so fast.

Yeah

We’re there until the last runner is there, because everybody deserves flowers.

I’m running my 9th marathon.

I also run for charity and what a great feeling to be able to give back.

The philanthropic aspect of the marathon is a marvelous facet of the event.

Since 2002 we’ve raised over $150M dollars.

And the money that’s raised does some amazing things for not only the community here, but on a national and international level.

The marathon raised $18.7 million for local charities in 2015.

A lot of the participants will tell me, you know, there’s a day that you may not feel like training or you’re doubting yourself, but that partnership with a charity gets ya going.

They’re all in it with the same purpose.

People want to go the same distance, they have different goals, they have so much in common that they pull each other through.

And we always say as coaches that sweat bond, there’s nothing more sacred than that.

(SFX: laughter) Because you’re choosing to show up and pay to do something that you’re passionate about and electively sweat with perfect strangers. (SFX: laughter)

The impact of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon doesn’t just last on race day or marathon weekend.

VIDEO: Discovering the impact of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon/en-us/partnering-locally/chicago-il.htmlLearn morebankofamerica1359940|enter782|cr-en402/en-us/partnering-locally/chicago-il.html_self1359940|enter782|2014_859||1359940|enter782|2014_581||

Corey Seager (Los Angeles Dodgers Shortstop): Jeter’s last, uh, All-Star game. I was there because my brother was there so I got to kinda experience the atmosphere of him around and met him underneath and stuff, it was pretty cool.

Joe Panik (San Francisco Giants Second Baseman): My dad would throw and, uh, my mom would shag baseballs and, uh, it was just a family thing. And, uh, it, you know, made it fun for us and that’s kinda where I got the love of the game.

Blake Swihart (Boston Red Sox Catcher): Playing my first year of baseball, I remember taking a groundball at third base and running all the way over to first base to get the guy out instead of throwing the ball to first.

Dellin Betances (New York Yankees Pitcher): Baby Wild’s perfect game. Uh, you know, I remember I was about nine, ten years old, uh, my godfather bought us tickets, and you know we were there for that obviously, you know, for one of the most memorable games in Yankee’s history.

David Price (Boston Red Sox Pitcher): I wasn’t really a fan at the time in all standing sixty feet, six inches away when Jeter hit three thousand. You know that’s, that’s pretty memorable.

SUPER: #MLBmemorybank (Bank of America Logo)

SUPER: Bank of America (Bank of America Logo) | (MLB Logo)Official Bank of Major League Baseball®

rebuilding-chicagodefaultPlayertrueblack/assets/images/our-story/history-and-heritage/Era2_Chicago_878x494.jpg|Rebuilding Chicago|The building and rebuilding of Chicago||

A man who can calm widespread financial panic by stacking gold on the counter of a bank in public view, demonstrating confidence and financial stability, is one we’re proud to have as part of our heritage.

Bank of America’s oldest heritage bank in Los Angeles, the Farmers and Merchants Bank, was instrumental in the development of the city into a thriving urban metropolis.

The building and rebuilding of Chicago/en-us/our-story/building-rebuilding-of-chicago.html1359940|enter782|cr-en284The building and rebuilding of Chicago/en-us/our-story/building-rebuilding-of-chicago.html_self1359940|enter782|2014_855||1359940|enter782|2014_319||1359940|enter782|2014_00||

RED THREAD PRODUCTIONSBANK OF AMERICA – LOCAL MARKETS 2013 – BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB AS PRODUCED VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

(v/o) JIM KEANEThis is the Morgan Park Boys and Girls Club. We’re an after school youth development organization. We take care of children ages six to eighteen…

SUPER: JIM KEANE, PRESIDENT & CEO, BOYS & GIRLS CLUB, CHICAGO

Jim Keane: …in those vulnerable after school hours, which are by far the most risky hours of the day in terms of violence, in terms of gang activity. They come into the club it’s a safe haven, safe physically, but also safe emotionally. It’s a game changer for kids. They gain more of those skills to succeed in life, and our goal, our mission is to enable these children to reach their full potential. We wouldn’t be able to do the mission we have, or to serve kids we serve or to keep growing that daily attendance without Bank of America’s support.

Julie Chavez: We’ve had a long relationship with the Boys and Girls Club of Chicago for decades. They have a strong history of being, really, in the right place at the right time for these youths. Recently the Boys and Girls Club of Chicago has been host organization for the bank of America Student Leader intern program. Unemployment is really high for teens, so the student leader program offers an employment experience. They’re eight week paid summer internships, so these are real jobs.

Jim Keane: Students are exposed at a leadership level, so they’re not just doing a job that someone tells them to do they’re really participating.

SUPER: ANTWAN GALLION, STUDENT LEADER INTERN

Antwan Gallion: I wanted to be a role model and guide someone instead of just work and get a paycheck.

SUPER: DEBORAH SMILEY, STUDENT LEADER INTERN

Deborah Smiley: These children need us the most. They need great mentors in their life leading them in the right path so eventually they’ll be able to become the lawyers and the doctors.

Julie Chavez: Bank of America recognizes that youths are stakeholders in the success of our communities. They’re going to be our future business leaders, they’re gonna be our future civic and community and government leaders.

SUPER: JARREL WASHINGTON, STUDENT LEADER INTERN

Jarrel Washington: It’s very important that we have role models for these kids. This internship really instilled in us how much we matter and what you contribute to your community and society matters

Julie Chavez: Organizations like the boys and girls club help us open the door of opportunity for our kids and make Chicago a better place to live and work.

From Interns to Mentors/en-us/partnering-locally/boys-and-girls-club-of-chicago.htmlbankofamerica1359940|enter782|cr-en402/en-us/partnering-locally/boys-and-girls-club-of-chicago.html_self1359940|enter782|2014_859||1359940|enter782|2014_581||1359940|enter782|2014_00||

ressurrectionprojectdefaultPlayertrueblack/assets/images/partnering-locally/local-markets-3/video-stills/resurrection-project_101512_878x494.jpg|People talking by a laptop at Resurrection Project|The Resurrection Project Is Working to Revitalize the Pilsen Community with Affordable Housing ||

Raul Raymundo: In the late eighties, I was listening to one of the pastors preach about a young man who was shot across the street from the church. And was asking, ‘What are we gonna do about it? Are we gonna pray that the problem goes away or are we actually gonna do something about it?’ And that motivated me, to want to make sure that, that doesn’t happen again. The Resurrection Project, is a comprehensive Community Development Organization. We build homes, we build daycare centers. Twenty-two years ago six parents just came together, really to build relationships, to build a healthy community not to move to one. Each parent invested five thousand dollars.

SUPER: Julie Chavez, Market Manager, Bank of America

Julie Chavez: And I think that amount of money for each church probably was a, was a lot. And it goes to show you what a strong seed can do. And I think that’s so exciting, how they bought that small amount of investment and it blossomed it.

Raul Raymundo: Twenty-two years later we’ve leveraged over two-hundred and fifty million dollars in community reinvestment. By building over six hundred units of affordable housing, community facilities, creating jobs, businesses, programs for youth and children. So we have tremendous pride on the work that we’ve done.

Julie Chavez: I grew up in Pillson, and my family’s been here for more than fifty years. Since the inception, Bank of America has been involved with the Resurrection Project. We’ve been a very close funder. We’ve been an advisor. We’ve collaborated on home-ownership education opportunities. And I think that’s what Bank of America represents. We’re part of the fabric of the community.

Raul Raymundo: Bank of America has been a pioneer in community development. They understand that’s it’s not just about bricks and mortar, it’s about also human capital development.

SUPER: Oralia Abeja, Client, Resurrection Project

Oralia Abeja: I grew up in this neighborhood. For me it’s very important to, to stay here, because, my roots are here. And my kids’ roots are also here. And my youngest daughter has graduated from Tusseto Academy. And she’s going to be the fourth one to graduate from the same grammar school. Because of The Resurrection Project, I was able to buy an affordable home in the same area, and keep them in the same school.

Raul Raymundo: The homes that people bought. Our message to them, ‘You’re not buying a piece of property. You’re buying part of the community. And that means something different. That means you’re gonna take some responsibility of your community, not just of your home.

Oralia Abeja: For me owning a home was a big change it just, changes your life completely. The stability that your kids feel. That something belongs to them. And I think for me to have my own home means success.

The Resurrection Project Is Working to Revitalize the Pilsen Community with Affordable Housing/en-us/partnering-locally/resurrection-project.htmlView Videobankofamerica1359940|enter782|cr-en402/en-us/partnering-locally/resurrection-project.html_self1359940|enter782|2014_859||1359940|enter782|2014_581||1359940|enter782|2014_00||

centeronhalsteddefaultPlayertrueblack/assets/images/partnering-locally/local-markets-3/video-stills/center-on-halsted_101512_878x494.jpg|Two men using a computer at the Center on Halsted Cyber Center|Chicago’s Center on Halsted Offers Programs and Social Services for the Local LGBTQ Community ||

BANK OF AMERICA RTP-Chicago-Center on Halsted- As Produced Video Transcript

(V/O)Carol Hedin: When I first came out I had lived in the suburb for nineteen years.

SUPER: Carol Hedin, Client, Center on Halsted

Carol Hedin: And I moved into the city and I knew no one in the gay community

SUPER: Brian Richardson, Director of Public Affairs, Center on Halsted

Brian Richardson: Center on Halsted's goal, is basically to provide opportunities, community, resources and beginnings for members of the LGBT Community of all ages, of all backgrounds.

SUPER: Tico Valle, CEO, Center on Halsted

Tico Valle: We grew up oppressed. We had to hide in the closet. The center is a beacon of hope.

SUPER: Rand Kohler, Credit Risk Executive, Bank of America

Rand Kohler: There are still many young people who are afraid to share their identity with their families.

Brian Richardson: Young people are still being bullied in the schools for being gay. Senior citizens sometimes are forced back into the closet, when they have to move into a retirement center. And people of all ages are still discriminated against based on who they are, or who they love in our community. The center provides a safe haven for them to come and be away from that harmful environment. But it also provides support services, and counseling services.

Carol Hedin: I ended up losing custody of my kids at one point. So that's another reason a place like this is so important for people who really had no place anymore, and that was me, back then.

(V/O)Brian Richardson: So right next door we are building the Midwest's very first affordable housing facility, targeted for LGBTQ seniors.

Tico Valle: We can do so much more because of Bank of America. Not only do they financially give. They give of their human resources. Bank of America is family.

Rand Kohler: I've been a board member of the Center on Halsted for two years. My own personal satisfaction comes from the happiness that I see in these hallways. Of people who come here for counseling services, for a hot meal, for a place to socialize, for a place to learn about how to get a job.

Brian Richardson: Cellar Fork is our culinary arts program. It's a twelve-week course for unemployed and under-employed individuals from the community. They receive training from top chefs. We have a great Cyber Center, that's open to the public throughout the day for free computer use. But we also provide the Job Club in the Cyber Center. Where people can get one-on-one assistance for creating their resumes; searching for jobs online, as well as interviewing skills.

Tico Valle: We want the Center to be that place where people can be who they are. And so that we can appreciate and celebrate that uniqueness.

Carol Hedin: It makes me feel good about who I am and there was a time in my life where I didn't feel that way at all and that's not the case anymore. I've developed a whole new outlook on things, you know. I just think it's so wonderful. Oh yeah, it's great.

Chicago’s Center on Halsted Offers Programs and Social Services for the Local LGBTQ Community/en-us/partnering-locally/center-on-halsted.htmlView Videobankofamerica1359940|enter782|cr-en284/en-us/partnering-locally/center-on-halsted.html_self1359940|enter782|2014_855||1359940|enter782|2014_319||1359940|enter782|2014_00||

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